Subway Protocol Lying, Liar Flooding the Zone Modest Proposal The Real Corn Pop Domestic Disturbance Buffalo Electronics Trump Tapes Moynihan is cold Welch isn’t paying attention Kmele coins a good one (for the third time) Dank Meme Party After Trump
The gang’s all here! I hope your Christmases were merry, lads (and Fifdom). These dispatches are keeping me afloat during a lonely holiday season, and I thank you.
Dec 30, 2022·edited Dec 30, 2022Liked by Matt Welch
Fif'-dom, what are some things that made you happy this year, and what are you looking forward to in 2023?
I moved to a quieter part of town and have a house full of plants, which makes me very happy. I've grown to appreciate the routines of this new place, like morning walks and watering the plants.
Curating my news feed has been enormously helpful. I left my last social-media platform at the end of last year and cancelled a few subscriptions. In 2023, I'll further limit my news consumption.
Reading books that have nothing to do with current events. I've been focussing on philosophy and histories of and from the Roman Empire. In 2023, I'll continue that a bit more intentionally. Hopefully, I'll brush off my old Latin textbooks and struggle through Virgil.
Meeting my neighbors has made me happy.
Listening to this podcast has made me happy. It's pretty much the only podcast that I can listen to without getting terribly upset. Thanks, lads, for keeping it lighthearted, providing good context, treating the absurd as the absurd, and for talking about cool books and such!
In 2023, I'm looking forward to further cultivating my non-political interests and hopefully, meeting more people. I'm also looking forward to attending the next TFC live show.
In 2023, I intend to make the most of the last year before 2024 primary elections actually begin. If anyone knows of a Chrome extension that will let me block all news containing the terms "poll", "2024", "primary", and "election", let me know!
Since Kmele said this might be the final dispatch of the year, you all have put out 9 more episodes. "Final dispatch of the year" is as accurate as "we should wrap this up" followed by 48 more minutes of show. And I'm thankful for all of it.
If Moynihan wants to move to St. Louis and sell people HVAC equipment, I'll hire him, but he has to stay out of my booze. Ok fine he can have Sazerac 6-year and lower.
Really enjoyed Matt's mid-pod soliloquy on stepping back and moving on. If I've learned anything from the past three(?) years of this long international nightmare, it's that there's value in removing yourself from conversations and environments that don't give anything back. Discovering that I didn't need to share every half-formed philosophical grunt or knee-jerk reaction to Twitter's Main Character of the Day has improved my mental, physical and maybe even metaphysical health tenfold. World's dumb and full of stupid shit. Why fill your day up with more than you need?
To the Fifthties: Have yourselves the happiest of New Year's. Thank you for the mirth and madness. Y'all have done *so much* in keeping me sane throughout all of [gesticulates wildly in an everywhere direction]... this.
To the rest of you filthy animals: Take care out there. Get some fresh air, pet some dogs, drink some water and remember that you can conscientiously object out of the Culture Wars if you want. (And to those of you who can't, keep it mean but, please, keep it clean.)
Dec 30, 2022·edited Jan 1, 2023Liked by Matt Welch
Also, workshopping this but feel free to steal if it's worthwhile... I think the best way to describe the edgelord libertarian faction is "devotees of Critical Liberty Theory". CLT is a dangerous, mind-warping series of single factor analysis tools, sort of a dark mirror version of the identity obsessed critical theory worldviews that proliferate on the left. It even has its own version of intersectionality, where you can tease out the government abuse that's hidden to the eyes of mere mortals - which is how you end up with harebrained takes like "straight white men are the most oppressed category in society" (iirc the LPNH chair tweeted something to that effect).
Like CRT, CLT can yield some interesting analytical insights, but becoming a full blown acolyte leads to madness and myopia that makes you irritating at best and unbearable at worst.
I enjoyed the discussion of the current (and past) state of the LP. I live in PA and in the last election I had the choice of an insane man vs Frankenstein. I looked into the LP candidate but as far as I could tell he was deep into the Mises caucus so I wrote in "None of the above". That is funnily enough a suggestion by Justin Amash that we have that on every ballot choice. I told a friend of mine about Amash's suggestion and he (a former conservative who is now a progressive) got very upset with me. I sent him a gift sub the TFC,
There is a bill in the PA legislature to allow those registered as independents to vote in party primaries (they currently cannot) but I'm not sure those party hacks will pass it because I think that there will be more registered independents than those registered to either party.
I share Moynihan's views of the current state of the LP. I only wish that there were more people like Amash in charge.
And Matt is absolutely right. The results in 2016 were a product of Clinton vs Trump and in 2020 that so many did not want a second Trump term. There was hope (myself included) that Biden would trend to the center. But sadly from day 1 that was not the case.
I’m half way through book about the Abraham Accords (“Trump’s Peace” by Barak Ravid) and it’s pretty incredible. That Kushner boy don’t fuck around.
Also Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone, this podcast has brought so many wonderful people and experiences into my life, and we’re just getting started ❤️
I made a beautiful brisket last night & desperately wanted to note that I was “embracing my Jew-ish side”.... but I do not think Instagram is ready for that joke.
Also! Re: rule of thumb from the last episode, I remember hearing that in the intro sequence from Boondock Saints, and immediately thinking "yep, that's the kind of shit they make up in Boston"
I’ve been listening to TFC since episode one, after discovering the lads on RedEye. Y’all have been a raft of sanity in a sea of insanity for me since 2016. I’m closing out 2022 listening to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds because of some aside MM had in an episode last month. And it’s glorious.
All my love and thanks to Michael, and the gentlemen.
Would pay a good chunk of change to listen to The Trump Tapes if there was a commentary track by Ben Dreyfuss, considering all involved.
The gang’s all here! I hope your Christmases were merry, lads (and Fifdom). These dispatches are keeping me afloat during a lonely holiday season, and I thank you.
Fif'-dom, what are some things that made you happy this year, and what are you looking forward to in 2023?
I moved to a quieter part of town and have a house full of plants, which makes me very happy. I've grown to appreciate the routines of this new place, like morning walks and watering the plants.
Curating my news feed has been enormously helpful. I left my last social-media platform at the end of last year and cancelled a few subscriptions. In 2023, I'll further limit my news consumption.
Reading books that have nothing to do with current events. I've been focussing on philosophy and histories of and from the Roman Empire. In 2023, I'll continue that a bit more intentionally. Hopefully, I'll brush off my old Latin textbooks and struggle through Virgil.
Meeting my neighbors has made me happy.
Listening to this podcast has made me happy. It's pretty much the only podcast that I can listen to without getting terribly upset. Thanks, lads, for keeping it lighthearted, providing good context, treating the absurd as the absurd, and for talking about cool books and such!
In 2023, I'm looking forward to further cultivating my non-political interests and hopefully, meeting more people. I'm also looking forward to attending the next TFC live show.
In 2023, I intend to make the most of the last year before 2024 primary elections actually begin. If anyone knows of a Chrome extension that will let me block all news containing the terms "poll", "2024", "primary", and "election", let me know!
A happy New Year to all!
Since Kmele said this might be the final dispatch of the year, you all have put out 9 more episodes. "Final dispatch of the year" is as accurate as "we should wrap this up" followed by 48 more minutes of show. And I'm thankful for all of it.
If Moynihan wants to move to St. Louis and sell people HVAC equipment, I'll hire him, but he has to stay out of my booze. Ok fine he can have Sazerac 6-year and lower.
Really enjoyed Matt's mid-pod soliloquy on stepping back and moving on. If I've learned anything from the past three(?) years of this long international nightmare, it's that there's value in removing yourself from conversations and environments that don't give anything back. Discovering that I didn't need to share every half-formed philosophical grunt or knee-jerk reaction to Twitter's Main Character of the Day has improved my mental, physical and maybe even metaphysical health tenfold. World's dumb and full of stupid shit. Why fill your day up with more than you need?
To the Fifthties: Have yourselves the happiest of New Year's. Thank you for the mirth and madness. Y'all have done *so much* in keeping me sane throughout all of [gesticulates wildly in an everywhere direction]... this.
To the rest of you filthy animals: Take care out there. Get some fresh air, pet some dogs, drink some water and remember that you can conscientiously object out of the Culture Wars if you want. (And to those of you who can't, keep it mean but, please, keep it clean.)
100% you should get Bob Woodward on, with a guest appearance by Ben Dreyfuss.
I feel like if All The President's Men was released now, Moynihan would tear it to shreds.
Also, workshopping this but feel free to steal if it's worthwhile... I think the best way to describe the edgelord libertarian faction is "devotees of Critical Liberty Theory". CLT is a dangerous, mind-warping series of single factor analysis tools, sort of a dark mirror version of the identity obsessed critical theory worldviews that proliferate on the left. It even has its own version of intersectionality, where you can tease out the government abuse that's hidden to the eyes of mere mortals - which is how you end up with harebrained takes like "straight white men are the most oppressed category in society" (iirc the LPNH chair tweeted something to that effect).
Like CRT, CLT can yield some interesting analytical insights, but becoming a full blown acolyte leads to madness and myopia that makes you irritating at best and unbearable at worst.
All in on Touch Grass 2023
I enjoyed the discussion of the current (and past) state of the LP. I live in PA and in the last election I had the choice of an insane man vs Frankenstein. I looked into the LP candidate but as far as I could tell he was deep into the Mises caucus so I wrote in "None of the above". That is funnily enough a suggestion by Justin Amash that we have that on every ballot choice. I told a friend of mine about Amash's suggestion and he (a former conservative who is now a progressive) got very upset with me. I sent him a gift sub the TFC,
There is a bill in the PA legislature to allow those registered as independents to vote in party primaries (they currently cannot) but I'm not sure those party hacks will pass it because I think that there will be more registered independents than those registered to either party.
I share Moynihan's views of the current state of the LP. I only wish that there were more people like Amash in charge.
And Matt is absolutely right. The results in 2016 were a product of Clinton vs Trump and in 2020 that so many did not want a second Trump term. There was hope (myself included) that Biden would trend to the center. But sadly from day 1 that was not the case.
I can't believe you perpetuated the dangerous conspiracy theory that Paul Molitor is a real person.
I’m half way through book about the Abraham Accords (“Trump’s Peace” by Barak Ravid) and it’s pretty incredible. That Kushner boy don’t fuck around.
Also Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone, this podcast has brought so many wonderful people and experiences into my life, and we’re just getting started ❤️
I made a beautiful brisket last night & desperately wanted to note that I was “embracing my Jew-ish side”.... but I do not think Instagram is ready for that joke.
“Small district in queens that nobody cares about” 😭
Thank you for this end of year episode 😘 Happy New Year to you all & your loved ones. Should we be sending parkas to Michael?
Also! Re: rule of thumb from the last episode, I remember hearing that in the intro sequence from Boondock Saints, and immediately thinking "yep, that's the kind of shit they make up in Boston"
I’ve been listening to TFC since episode one, after discovering the lads on RedEye. Y’all have been a raft of sanity in a sea of insanity for me since 2016. I’m closing out 2022 listening to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds because of some aside MM had in an episode last month. And it’s glorious.
All my love and thanks to Michael, and the gentlemen.